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Saturday, June 15, 2013

For You

I just published a blog post a few hours ago, but I felt I need to publish this one too because I feel like someone out there needs this.

Don't have faith in your ability to hear God. Have faith in God's ability to speak to you. He made your spiritual ears. Do not worry that you can't hear Him, He knows exactly how to reach you. That doesn't mean don't listen, you're perfectly capable of being too distracted to listen, but if you're listening for Him, have faith you can't miss Him. He longs to love you and guide you into a life with faith of gold, and will meet your ears where they are...

Don't let other Christians discourage you. It's sad to say, but in my experience when you're acting in faith you'll find five or more Christians who urge you to "caution" and "being sure" for every one that encourages your faith. I'm not saying ignore wise counsel, but do not let it bring doubt to you. Have faith God's ability to communicate with you, test what He says against scripture, and trust God over man, even other Christians.

In the New Testament, we see apostles argue sometimes. When Peter had the dream about the gentiles, it took many by surprise. But Peter knew it was from the Lord. Faith is trusting God. Ask God to speak to you, and have faith that your father who loves you will not give you a snake instead of a fish. Ask Him to correct you if you listen to yourself and think it's Him. Ask Him to silence demons and test everything. Test everything... but have faith. If you are in error, your Father who loves you will correct you. Have no fear on that. God does not give us a spirit of fear.

It grieves my heart, but often you will hear Christian encourage doubt when God urges you into faithful action. "God doesn't normally operate that way." "Sure, that happened in the Bible, but do you really think you're Peter/Paul/etc?" "I mean, yeah, Jesus could do that, but He's Jesus. You don't think you're Jesus, do you?"

These people lack faith. And lest you think I'm condemning them, know I've been them before, and I may be again. Faith is like a seed, after all... it starts out small and it takes nurturing to grow. But God is the gardener, so turn it over to Him and trust.

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." -John 14:12-13

These are the words of the Lord. And while it's almost stop-your-heart amazing, Jesus wants to do greater things in you and me. He just needs a surrendered, faithful life.

And it is hard.

But persevere, my darling brethren. Persevere and have faith. Do not let others discourage you, but let this encourage you. And pray for those who discourage you. Pray that they will gain more faith, so someday they'll come to you and your jaw will drop and you'll have to stop yourself from saying, "But who do you think you are?"

Oh, my brethren, let's stop this lack of faith in the church. Let's encourage one another, pray for one another, love one another, and seek the Will of the one who longs to do greater things in us.

Praise be to the amazing and awe inspiring and indescribable God, the one and only, our Beloved Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Edit: I do want to add one thing. Have the humility to accept correction. God can't effectively work in the proud. If someone comes to you showing you that something is unBiblical, pray about it and let the Spirit correct you. (Remember Satan knows the Bible too and don't let someone twist something to stop you, but believe me there have been times I was gung ho with an idea and a Christian brother or sister quoted a scripture in opposition and it was a sword in the heart and I knew I was wrong.) Do not get so caught up in "living in faith" that you're really living in pride, not allowing others, even God, to correct you. Because it's a painful fall when God smacks down the prideful, and believe me, He will, because He loves you and will not let you become useless to Him. And pride makes you useless to Him.